According to data collected from 14,989 independent school students by the Independent School Health Check, students who attend unchaperoned parties put themselves, perhaps voluntarily, at significant risk. The table below shows the reported differences in behavior between those who attend chaperoned parties and those who attend unchaperoned parties.

In this same database, students report their perception that their caregivers (parents, grandparents, etc) are, for the most part, very much engaged with their lives, supportive of endeavors, vigilant about activities, friends and accountability. In one area, however, their reports suggest many parents fail to act with due diligence. Only 44% of parents call to find out if the party to which their child is going will be chaperoned, and apparent differences in outcome are shown in the table below.

Although the data does not permit a demonstration of cause and effect, the relative differences in behavior between those students who believe their parents call and those who believe their parents do not call suggests that students’ perception of parenting style does have a substantial effect on behavior and risk.